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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217133">Gems Between My Fingers (Put Your Hand in Mine)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhidee/pseuds/Rhidee'>Rhidee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Adventure Zone (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dubious Morality, Elf Culture &amp; Customs, Gen, Happy Ending, Kleptomania, OCD Character, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Sibling Bonding, Taako has OCD, The mention is brief but stay safe!, Theft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:42:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,430</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23217133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhidee/pseuds/Rhidee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t like Taako meant to steal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lup &amp; Taako (The Adventure Zone)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gems Between My Fingers (Put Your Hand in Mine)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t like Taako meant to steal.  He didn’t-okay for a while, he really did need the stuff he stole.  Supplies, food, come on now, you can’t say it’s wrong to want to live.  But- after that, it just, didn’t stop?  He had sticky fingers, and that wasn’t horrible, he figured the world owed Ol’ Taako a freebie or two, after surviving on the streets on his own.  He didn’t even count that theft as bad, it was to survive, but after…freebies.</p>
<p>So of course he occasionally snagged vanilla extract, and maybe his sleeves were surprisingly good at picking up dried roses, and maybe blowing the occasionally spell slot on teleporting meat wasn’t the best, but they obviously weren’t too bad off to just leave it lying around.</p>
<p>Really, if they didn’t want to invest in anti spell barriers, that was on them.  It’s bad business!</p>
<p>But then he learned he didn’t live on the streets on his own, in fact, his entire childhood was a lie, and actually his entire childhood was with Lup, and having one undeniable ally changes so much.</p>
<p>He remembered grifts, and they had to be real, because who could make this shit up.  He remembered sending letters with this ‘rich’ guy, and him sending a badly edited picture of his face on an ID for ‘verification’, if he only shared the details of his fantasy credit card then the money would come.</p>
<p>He tracked down the guys house and robbed him, but that wasn’t the kleptomania at all, that was a choice.</p>
<p>The kleptomania was running his hands over crystals in a store and accidentally picking one up between his fingers, not even realizing it until he was out of the door.  It was- him, alone, him, with Lup, her snort as she picked something from his fingers and tossed it back where it went, knowing as well as he did that he didn’t want it.  Him, alone, running from guards, him, alone, his hands being hit with sticks until they bled, him, with Lup, kicking people in the balls and getting the hell out of dodge, and what was real, what was true, what was their time apart and what was their time together.</p>
<p>He remembered sneaking out from some place, a caravan with other people (Lup? Was she-).  Meeting a man, having sex, picking the rings right off his fingers and the gold right out of his hair.  It wasn’t good sex, he didn’t even want it, and he woulda stopped it if he could, but the money was great even if he had to wait to sell it until he was out of town.</p>
<p>But- he guessed he didn’t know if that really happened.  Surely Lup wouldn’t have let him do the good old sex grift, if he really didn’t want it.  Was he that desperate for money?  Were they?  Was that something real, or something his brain had filled in.  He could have done it and kept it a secret from Lup.  He.  He didn’t think that there was a good way to ask if he, is it still rape if he chose not to stop it? </p>
<p>He pictured Angus saying that.</p>
<p>Oh fuck, if you have to ask ‘was it rape’ it was probably rape. </p>
<p>Whatever, that crisis could wait, but Taako was at least somewhat sure some level of stealing was just.  Inherent to him. </p>
<p>(No, really that crisis can wait Taako has a busy day tomorrow, he can schedule it for- March 31<sup>st</sup>.)</p>
<p>But- he knew he did some stealing when Sazed was around, because he’d always roll his eyes, bug Taako until he put it back, apologized to the shop keep, said it was research for a comedy bit he was going to do on Sizzle It Up.</p>
<p>It stressed him out so much his hands would end up bleeding anyway, from his washing, as Sazed yelled at him to stop and grabbed his arms until they bruised and just wouldn’t let him <em>finish fucking washing Sazed I swear if I can just calm down enough I’ll be able to stop just let me fucking finish you’re not helping.</em></p>
<p>So he had thought it was just inherent to him.  That maybe he was just an elf who stole things.  It wasn’t unusual, with the lifespan of elves the concept of ownership got wobbly, it was even an elven stereotype.  It wasn’t like he really saw enough elves to know how true it was, but he could fit into a stereotype, it was his brand.  What’s funnier than a guy stealing from a train, while working to protect the train?  It was high comedy!</p>
<p>But then-Lucretia-and the song- and Lup <em>didn’t</em> steal.  She never had the itch for it, she stole what they needed, and never on accident. </p>
<p>((“Hey Luu?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Do you think I’m a bad person?”</p>
<p>Lup looked worried, in the light of the fire.  She looked away, out into the woods around them, up at the sky where the leaves didn’t hide it.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why you’re asking, Taks, but you’re my brother.  I think you’re the best sort of person.”</p>
<p>“I steal.  A lot.  And you have me put things back, so I know you don’t approve.”</p>
<p>“Oh, is that it?”  Lup had said, before flopping into his lap.</p>
<p>“You doof, I do that because you don’t want to steal.”</p>
<p>He half heartedly shoved her, not trying to dislodge her at all, before sighing and collapsing onto his back.</p>
<p>“But I do it.  Every time.  Isn’t that what bad people do?  Do bad things no matter what?” </p>
<p>He watched the movement of the wind.  Lup rolled off him, sat down next to him.</p>
<p>“Look, Taako,” She ran her hand through her hair, sighed, “I don’t think stealing is bad.  I know a lot of people do, and I don’t think we should do it for fun, but…I don’t think it’s bad.  Not what you do.  Sure, if you were out there stealing fantasy flatscreen tv’s and stuff, sure.  But you usually steal…small things, from rich people.  Or at least stuff people won’t miss, not for financial reasons.  I think…as much as you can’t help it, you factor that in on some level.  Like, you wouldn’t steal candy from a baby, would you?”</p>
<p>“What?  Of course not.  Not unless it was like, an evil baby.  Or started shit first.”</p>
<p>Lup snorted.</p>
<p>“Exactly, goober.  You care about who you steal from.  I’ve been with you your entire life, you’ve never hurt someone on the same level as us.  You just can’t help doing it sometimes.”))</p>
<p>But he could help it.  Lup didn’t have the itch, but he wasn’t- he wasn’t completely out of control.  He could do anything, he was <em>Taako</em>, he could even stop his OCD looping.  Sure, it was at a cost, but he could do it.</p>
<p>Or at least put things back. </p>
<p>He was lucky Magnus and Merle were such heavy sleepers, in the beginning.  He was lucky there just wasn’t a lot of stuff lying around, on the moon base.  He wasn’t so lucky about managing not to pick up Angus’ silverware, but a little goofing keeps a growing boy strong, that was fine.  Taako never claimed to be the height of morality, and Angus wasn’t actually a baby.</p>
<p>Having Lup back…Changed everything.  It was like he had went on a bad vacation, and was finally home.</p>
<p>“Pass it, nerd.”  Lup put her hand out.  Taako dropped the fantasy playing cards in, and she slid it in the shelves before they left the store.</p>
<p>Taako didn’t cry, because he forgot to use the waterproof mascara.</p>
<p>He did pull Lup aside and hug her like hell, though.</p>
<p>Maybe- maybe it wasn’t his burden alone.  It was his responsibility.  But…</p>
<p>Lup shoved him and laughed when he stumbled, and he waited until she got distracted to stick his platform boot in front of her step.  Which she dodged, because she’d <em>terrible, </em>but she didn’t dodge the minor illusion that made her think there was a step where there was none, and that was delicious.</p>
<p>Maybe, he could have help with this. </p>
<p>After all, Ol’ Taako was just one half of Lup and Taako.  He didn’t need anything as much as he needed her smile.</p>
<p>God, he had missed her, he thought, before faceplanting into a wall she had illusioned to look like a pathway.</p>
<p>Fuck, there was no place he’d rather be, he thought, before grabbing as much mud as he could and running after her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow, I missed this series.  Have this, since I learned today that the compulsivity from kleptomania is linked up with OCD....oof.</p>
<p>Please drop a comment if you have anything to say.  Stay safe out there, and remember you deserve love.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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